2 min readNew DelhiApr 15, 2016 03:49 PM IST
First published on: Apr 15, 2016 at 12:14 PM IST
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. (Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)
A day after Kerala DGP T P Senkumar said that he objected to the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at Kollam within hours of the explosion, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday said that the national leaders’ presence did not hamper the rescue work.
“National leaders like PM or Rahul Gandhi or Sitaram Yechury coming did not hamper rescue work, it was big relief for people,” said Chandy.
On Thursday, DGP T P Senkumar told the Indian Express that the entire police department was busy in rescue and relief work and the visits by Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meant that they had to ensure their “safety and security” as well.
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“I did object to the idea of the Prime Minister visiting the region within 12 hours of the accident. I told them it would be better for the PM to visit the spot a day after the disaster. But the PM wanted to visit that day itself. Our entire force had been working from early morning, engaged in rescue and relief work. So much work was still left and all of them were tired because there was no provision of even drinking water. We had to make arrangements for the safety and security of Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi too,” he had said.
Over a 100 people were killed and hundred others injured after a fire at the Puttingal temple in Kollam, Kerala.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s government was quick in its efforts to conduct rescue operations. The ghastly mishap occurred when sparks from a firework fell on a storehouse stocked with crackers, triggering powerful explosions. The fire, which led to an explosion, took place at around 3.30 am and the death toll quickly rose from 20 to over a 100.
(With ENS and ANI inputs)
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. (Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)
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